I was tired of my 2001 Impala and it's lack of starting ability. Additionally, I was getting a paltry 18 MPG on my 5 mile commute to work. I realized how bad it was after driving the Jenn's S2000 to work and getting 38 to 40 MPG with very fuel conscious driving. It's easy to save on gas in a S2000 around town. I can't hear the stereo with 13 year old boys in their half ton trucks with one ton suspensions screwed on; I save on power. I can't get to the sweet spot of the engine because of traffic; I save on power. I also don't need the A/C with the top down; I save on power.
If I turn on the A/C, radio, and drive like I stole it. I get 18 MPG, deservedly so. I should get more than 18 MPG in a car that never gets past 2000 rpm in my commute, even with the A/C. The problem was the automatic gear box. It always had it in gear. Worst of all, the 3.4 L V6 needed at least 1000 rpm to keep going, because an auto must not stall or all hell breaks loose.
So the search was on, for my new car.
I sold the Impala. That is a whole other story...
I searched every brand in Jacksonville. If I wanted a newer Impala, the Pontiac G6 was the next step. It was lighter and had a faster version of the same engine, inherantly more milage and fun. I could even get a convertible. I came to my senses. I am not that old yet.
My new car requirements were this:
1. It had to be fun.
2. It had to be faster than the S2000.
3. It had to get better milage than the Impala (24/32) but I got 18 MPG...
At 6'1" and possessing an abnormally large head as noted by friends and family the car market made a lot of my choices for me. I can fit well into the S2000, shockingly. I can't fit in a Lexus IS350. They insist upon putting a sunroof in the car and taking my headroom from me. Same for the BMW 3, Acura TSX, Nissan 350Z, and almost for the Infiniti G35. This whole height thing bothered me... I am just 2 inches taller than the average male, but I am in the 96% of height, which means 96% of men can fit and I am with the 4% looking at bigger cars. I figured the taller than average Germans would engineer more headroom. They might have, but Floridians like sunroofs and that doesn't help the tall.
I guess I had a number zero to my list, I had to fit in it. Since the car is getting bigger to fit me the power was gaining and milage would be hurt, I was getting into V8 country. I test drove 3 Corvettes, a 2004 convertible, a 2005 coupe, and a 2007 Z06. They all sucked. A buyer must be in love with the idea of a Corvette when they buy one. I was sold when I was 16. I wanted a Corvette, It was cool and fast looking. This all changed when I drove one. The C5 and C6 have rear transaxles. This means the raw power from the engine/flywheel goes past my legs to a big box that translates that power and puts it into gear. This saves weight, but feels like crap to drive. After driving the S2000 it was scary to drive a Corvette and not in a fun way. I didn't know what the torque was going to do. Worst of all was the convertible windshield was lower to my head then the S2000, a go cart. The Z06 is amazing, but too hard for the normal road and especially all the construction going on in town. If I owned a track, I would own a Z06, and in this fantasy world I could afford the insurance for a Z06.
The new Mustang was next. I test drove a 2007 GT. Not great, not terrible. My main buff about the car is the plastic of the inside, they made huge buttons I thought would break if you push it too far from center. They could have tightened the center console and made more room. The back seats are silly, they should make a rack or something useful for the space. Putting seats there just insults the buyer. The trunk was decent for a sporty car. The 5 speed gear box was too numb. Even at 30 to 40 the engine sounded the same in 2nd to 4th gear. I had to look at the knob to know where I was. This is nice to get around town if you didn't like shifting but removes the fun of a stick. The Mustang felt too big and slow. Even with the GT model, you felt like you got the slow one because a Roush or Shelby was on the lot next to it.
Then I tried a 2004 GTO. It looked odd at first. But I could fit in it, so number zero on my list was checked. I could even fit in the back seat comfortably. 350 HP and a 6 speed gear box meant it was fun. My test drive verified this, it was powerful and the gears were clear in their range. Shifting to 4th gear was easy compared to the G35 and its pull to the right, which ending badly if you forgot about that tick. It was faster than the S2000 with tons of torque off the line and only got faster up the range of rpms.
I went home happy about the GTO, it fit, it is fun, it is fast, but was it fuel economic... no. Well it is at the same time. How you drive it determines the milage. It is rated at 18/29. I can verify the 29 on the highway. 18 was my minimum from the Impala, but I worried about getting less then that. I remembered something about my test drive. In 6th gear, I could idle the car at 800 rpm and go 35 MPH. That is commuting speed for me. This means I can have it in 6th, blip the throttle to nudge in traffic, but use the lease amount of gas possible. I don't plan on taking many road trips like I did before because flying is about the same in cost to get me to TN, and I don't like driving any car for 10+ hours.
At home learned the 2005/2006 GTO had a better engine and transmission and handling. I was on the hunt for my GTO. I found one with low miles, plenty of warranty left, black paint and wild red leather interior. With 400 HP to play with on a clear and crisp 6 speed gear box, the fun was raised.
So I bought a 2005 Pontiac GTO, and I learned something about power and cars. 400 HP is a lot, but with super cars like the Veyron with 1001 HP and the Viper with 650 HP, I felt cheated if only by the fact it should be 407 HP. 400 sounds too rounded. As I have learned 400 is plenty. The traction control system in my car would say less than 400 is more than enough.
That leads to my next post.
